


if you care enough, ask him yourself

by lamingtons



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Post-Divorce, Reunions, george is stuck in the middle, just talk ffs, nico and lewis are still in love but are too stubborn to admit it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-21 01:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30013695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamingtons/pseuds/lamingtons
Summary: They’ve made it through almost an entire dinner and no one has asked him the question yet. George counts that as a win.“How’s your dad?”… and he spoke too soon.-George’s dads are divorced and now he’s stuck playing a game of telephone.
Relationships: Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg
Comments: 20
Kudos: 115





	1. Keke

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first fic I've written since 2015. 
> 
> started this after the sahkir gp after seeing Nico's tweet about George.
> 
> i don't know if it makes any sense, plot or grammar wise, but hopefully y'all enjoy :)

George swears he’s being roasted alive. It’s so hot and humid that even the fresh ocean breeze can’t save him now.

He’s on a yacht somewhere out in the Mediterranean Sea, desperately trying to muster up a tan before the summer ends. The key word here is trying – he’s trying to tan but its more of a first degree burn at this point.

Giving up on his tanning endeavors, George pushes himself off the lounge chair and heads inside. The shade and air conditioning graciously providing him with some much-needed relief. He makes a beeline for the coolers and grabs a cold can of beer, pressing it onto the back of his neck to soothe the pain.

“I guess you got your papa’s genes then” Keke chuckles behind him.

George saunters to the empty chair beside him and grudgingly accepts the bottle of aloe that his ukki is holding out to him. Curse his pale, pasty delicate skin. 

“But papa doesn’t burn like I do.” 

“He used to, way before he met your dad.”

“Now what’s this all about? Incriminating me in front of my son again?” Nico quips, making his way up from below deck.

“You don’t need me to do that” Keke retorts “I was just about to tell him of your teenage years with Lewis.”

Nico’s steps come to an abrupt halt as he turns to scowl at his father. George knows talking about his dad is a touchy topic for his papa, but he has never seen this reaction before. Usually there’s some arguing, the occasional shouts, but never this deafening of a silence. 

“Oh relax, you’re acting as if I’ve thrown away your hair products again” Keke snorts “I’m just telling my grandson about his dad, not accusing you of murder!”

“Just leave it alone.”

Keke rolls his eyes and lights up a fresh cigar. “How is your father these days?” he says, nodding in George’s direction.

“Uhh, yeah, he’s alright. Busy. Been working on some new motorsport project – Extreme E – I think it’s called?” George haphazardly replies.

Keke bellows out a laugh, raising an eyebrow at his son. 

“No wonder you wanted us to join that project as well” he chuckles out “I knew your intentions weren’t pure of heart.”

“Fucks sakes papa, just because our interests align doesn’t mean everything I do is because of him. We were married once, you know! Married couples do share interests!” Nico swipes back.

“I know not everything you do is for him” Keke reassures “but for this specific case, it is.”

His papa looks like he’s about to unleash a fury of denial but all he does is bite his tongue, purse his lip and double down on the scowl.

The atmosphere in the room is sour, filled with uncomfortably thick tension.

George contemplates returning to the burning sun rays.

At least that’s more bearable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm also on [tumblr](https://redbullseb.tumblr.com/)!


	2. Sebastian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Meredith Grey voice* "Kepner the food's getting cold, let's pass those peas!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for all the lovely responses for the first chapter! 
> 
> here's another short one, i'm hoping to upload once a day so just keep an eye out for that :)

They’ve made it through almost an entire dinner and no one has asked him the question yet. George counts that as a win.

_“How’s your dad?”_

… and he spoke too soon. There goes the plan for a quiet, uneventful evening. 

He makes eye contact with Sebastian who seems to be fervently waiting for his response, pausing his meal until George fumbles out a reply.

“Uhh… he’s alright I guess.”

“Anything new with the Rosbergs?”

He glances around the table. Kimi and Antonio seem disinterested as ever, Charles perks up at the opportunity to gossip, Pascal gives him an understanding look whilst his dad just stares blankly at the food in front of him.

“Same old, same old. Oma wants to start soul cycling, ukki wants to turn the back lot into a karting track and papa… he’s taking on a lot, you know? Wanting to take the company to new heights and all that. Might even join Extreme E, ‘cause, umm, uhh, it’s good for exposure and things.”

His father’s head shoots up then, George’s comments seeming to hit him like a truck. He looks like he wants to say something, but the words can’t seem to leave his lips. 

Pascal, sensing his father’s unease, jumps in break the silence.

“Extreme E? Fucking hell that great news! A lot of people have been waiting for– “

“Isn’t that the project that Lewis is working on?” 

Seb kicks at Charles under the table, glaring disapprovingly at his youngest son’s interjections.

“What? I’m just asking a question.”

“Yeah, that would be the one” Lewis finally utters “Never realized he was interested in that sort of stuff, let alone wanting to be involved in it.”

“Maybe he’s doing it to win you back.”

“Charles, that’s enough!” Seb snaps, pinching the boy’s ear to stop him from talking.

“Maybe he’s just trying to be a better human, you know, trying to make a positive impact or some bullshit along those lines” Antonio chimes in, steering the conversation back on track “either way, I’m still hungry, what’s for dessert?”

“Ice cream” Kimi finally speaks “I’ll get it.”

George spares a glance at his father. It’s no surprise that he’s caught off guard by the news. 

This was a mistake. Why couldn’t he just of kept his mouth shut? Why did it even affect his dad so much? 

Was his dad still in love with his papa?

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a quick explanation for the character relationships:
> 
> \- Seb & Lewis had Pascal first, they were never married and are co-parenting. 
> 
> \- Lewis then had George with Nico, they were married but now are divorced. George lives with Lewis in London, Nico lives in Monaco.
> 
> \- Seb then had Charles with Kimi, they are married. Kimi also had another child, Antonio, from a previous relationship. They all live in London, including Pascal.
> 
> hope that makes sense!
> 
> i'm also on [tumblr](https://redbullseb.tumblr.com/)!


	3. Pascal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pascal: *uses common sense and logic*
> 
> George: _"right in front of my salad???"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since y'all seem to love Pascal so much, here's a whole chapter!

George rushes through the café doors, making a beeline for the booth seat. Pascal is already there, sipping on his overpriced coffee and hunched over his laptop. He looks up as George approaches the booth, clearing away his course work to make space on the table. 

Pascal gives him a soft smile and watches as George struggles to remove all the layers of his outerwear – not his idea, blame Alex – before passing over a menu. Not like he needs it anyways, they’ve been meeting here once a week ever since Pascal moved back to London for uni, but George still appreciates the sentiment.

“Did you just come back from Siberia or what? Its not even that cold out mate, how many layers do even need?”

“Half of this isn’t even mine, Alex saw me leave in just my training shirt and freaked out!”

“Whipped, the both of you! Have you even asked him out yet?”

George just glares in response, looking like a carbon copy of Nico. 

Pascal throws his hands up in surrender and whispers something that sounded awfully like ‘lovesick idiots’ through his teeth. 

“I’m not fucking in love with Alex, alright? We’re just friends, best-fucking-friends yeah? I don’t need you to also be on my case about–”

“What can I get my favorite grumpy bums today?”

“Natalie, my savior! I’ll just get the usual and George will be having your largest piece of denial” Pascal chimes in, grinning cheekily at the waitress.

Natalie raises an eyebrow and looks over at a scowling George.

“That doesn’t even make sense!”

“How about I get you a slice of the quiche, yea? Romain just took it out the oven so it’s warm and fresh. With chips on the side? And a nice warm sticky toffee pudding for dessert? A real cheat day special, doesn’t that sound nice?” Natalie cuts in, resting a hand on George’s shoulder for comfort.

“Thanks Nat” George replies, looking up and giving a small smile. He squeezes her hand, returning the gesture, as she gives a reassuring smile back. 

Pascal, the dickhead, is still grinning smugly. 

Natalie finishes up the order and clears the menus from the table. As she leaves, Nat’s hand ruffles George hair affectionately. 

“If it’s any consolation, Alex likes you too.”

George just sits there, stunned in silence as Pascal erupts into a fit of laughter. He can feel his cheeks heating up as the embarrassment spreads through his body. His face is probably the same color as the red scarf Alex wrapped around his neck earlier.

Great.

Pascal, sensing his discomfort, mercifully moves on from the topic of George’s love life. The two brothers fall into easy conversation, catching up with each other’s lives. George, being the younger of the two, is heavily invested in the stories of his older brother’s ‘adult’ life at uni. 

When it gets to his turn, George excitedly tells Pascal that he might have the opportunity to study in America after sixth form. Pascal, overjoyed with the news, hollers at Natalie to scrap the sticky toffee pudding in favor of cake. What? A momentous occasion like this deserves cake!

A talent scout had come to observe him at practice earlier that day and seemed pretty pleased with George’s performance. That last bit was no surprise, George had inherited his parent’s athletic abilities. He was even good enough to have been picked up by one of the local academies. 

Unfortunately, George knew his dreams of becoming the next Premier League hotshot were nothing more than fantasies and decided to focus on his studies instead. He had dropped out of the junior program at the beginning of year 11 to focus solely on school. But now, a golden opportunity had landed in his lap. Full ride scholarship to a prestigious American university that allowed him to also continue playing football? What is this? Is he Debby Ryan in 16 wishes? 

(He’s choosing to ignore the fact that going to America would mean leaving his family, friends and Alex to live in an unfamiliar place whilst enduring a shitload of pressure placed upon him to excel both sporting and academically as a student athlete.)

Pascal bursts his little daydream bubble right as he envisions himself lifting the NCAA trophy.

“Have you told your dads?”

Guiltily, George shakes his head.

“I don’t want to tell dad that I’m leaving him.”

Pascal snorts at that. “I’m still gonna be here dipshit!”

“Yeah, but you live with Seb! If I leave London, dad’s gonna be all by himself. Lord knows he’s not looking for anyone, I don’t even think he’s opened the dating apps we downloaded on his phone!”

“I don’t think dad will be using those apps.” 

“Exactly my point, Pascal!”

“That’s not _my_ point, George.”

George just sits there, staring perplexed at his brother, raising a brow in confusion.

His brother raises a brow in response before rolling his eyes.

“For someone so intelligent, you’re really slow on this one, eh Georgie?”

George continues to stare dumbly at him.

“Please tell me you’re not that oblivious.”

George swears his face is going to be forever stuck as confused if Pascal doesn’t tell him soon.

“Dad’s still in love with Nico.”

George chokes on a chip as he struggles to process what he’s heard. His dad is still in love with his papa?

Pascal takes pity and hands him a napkin and some water. “How do you even know?” George sputters out.

“I have eyes? I see the way dad talks about him, how he latches onto any little detail he could get about Nico, how envious he’d get when someone even mentions Nico’s name in a positive manner. I swear to God, the only people who don’t seem to know this are you and them.”

George just sighs and slumps back into the cushioned booth, burrowing his hands in the pocket of Alex’s hoodie.

“How do you even know what love looks like?” He huffs out.

“I see the way Kimi looks at my papa every day, and I see the way papa returns those looks” Pascal counters “Look, just because your papa can’t express emotion to save his life doesn’t mean he doesn’t also love dad back!”

The two boys just look at each other for a moment, both not knowing how to break the awkward silence that now rings through the air. 

Thankfully, Natalie brings over two slices of carrot cake with an extra dollop of Romain’s homemade vanilla ice cream.

George forces out a smile and thanks her for the cake. Natalie returns a genuine, warm smile back and pats George’s shoulder once more. Once she had left, George sinks back even further into the booth.

Fuck.

(Well, he did see this coming. But still, _fuck_.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting to the heart of the story so the remaining chapters are gonna be a bit longer :)
> 
> (and yes, i am setting up more characters to potentially expand this au)
> 
> i'm also on [tumblr](https://redbullseb.tumblr.com/)!


	4. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (but George really wished it did for Isaac Newton).

Against the advice of Pascal, George doesn’t tell his dad about the whole America thing. What he did do, however, was bottle it all in and internalized everything. 

(In hindsight, people would say that was a very Nico Rosberg move. Lewis, upon discovering this fact, just sighed and mumbled something about how the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.)

He doesn’t see the talent scout again after that, making it easier to push those thoughts aside and just focus on finishing the semester. It’s not like George even has time to entertain the idea anyways, all of his waking hours are overloaded with studying and training that its even seeping into his subconscious.

(If he has even one (1) more dream about calculus, George swears he’s going to travel back in time and kill Isaac Newton himself.)

Things at home haven’t been all sunshine, rainbows and daisies either. His dad knows something’s up but hasn’t rushed him to speak up about it. George knows that he’s fortunate in this regard, having parents who trusts him enough to let him go at his own pace. Ultimately, this just intensifies his feelings of guilt, so he continues to run from his problems by spending most of his time at the Albon’s.

Alex’s house is loud, busy, and chaotic. George loves it. There’s not enough space in his mind for doubts and worries when there’s five cats, a dog and even ponies vying for his attention. At this point, Alex’s mum probably considers him her sixth child.

George knows he can’t hide here forever. He also knows that he’s probably making the situation worse by avoiding his dad but at this point, he’s too overwhelmed to care. He tells Alex all this. They sit in Alex’s backyard and stare at the stars until almost sunrise. Alex sit there with him the whole time, comforting him and keeps reassuring that his dad will understand.

When they do end up going to bed that night, Alex kisses his forehead and holds him as he lists out all of the wonderful things he knows George will go on to achieve. They fall asleep like that, in each other’s arm. It’s the best sleep George has had in months.

(And before you ask, no, George has not asked him out yet.)

Pascal comes over more often after their little chat as well. George knows that part of reason for his visits comes from not wanting their dad to be alone, but mainly, it’s just so that he can guilt trip George in person.

George finally caves during the first week of October. He’s pulled abruptly out of class during the middle of his chemistry lab. He gives Alex an apologetic look and gets an understanding shrug in return as Alex dives straight back into their titration exercise.

When he gets to Coach Williams office, he notices that the talent scout is also there. The man introduces himself as Valtteri Bottas, a recruitment liaison for colleges in the States. Claire gestures for George to take a seat as Valtteri perches himself on the edge of the table. They start to explain how the NCAA system works, how he’d fit in with the team and other things which George can’t quite seem to comprehend at that moment. 

All he knows is that by the end of the conversation, there’s a contract with a conditional offer to Whiting College with his name on it.

Shit.

His dreams might become a reality after all.

He calls his papa that night, too afraid to have this conversation with his dad face to face. George chews on the sleeve of his hoodie – Alex’s hoodie – as the facetime ringtone chimes. His papa’s face appears on the screen, smile as bright as ever, and George suddenly forgets how to speak.

“Hey Georgie, it’s been a while eh?” Nico chirps.

Its obvious that he’s just gotten home from work, still dressed in his nicely tailored work suit. George sees him prop the phone on the kitchen counter as he takes of the navy-blue jacket.

“Hi papa” George rushes out “sorry for not calling, it’s been hectic with school and all.”

Nico assures him that its fine as he moves through the kitchen, that he understands the stress of final exams, before sitting down and focusing his attention solely on his son.

Sensing George’s hesitation, Nico’s gleeful demeanor switches to concerned.

“Darling, is everything alright?”

“Yea, it actually is!” George chuckles “Everything’s actually going great!”

Nico raises his brow at that.

“Papa…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been offered a full ride football scholarship to Whiting College.”

Nico burst into congratulatory cheers, beaming so much that his smiles take up his whole face.

“It’s in America.”

“Yes George, I know where Whiting College is” Nico quips in return, chuckling in amusement.

“How are you already old enough to consider university? God, they grow up so fast.”

George forces out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck as he avoids making eye contact with his father.

“George, what’s wrong darling?” Nico asks, “Hasn’t this always been a dream of yours?”

“Yeah no, it has” George replies “It’s just, uh, I don’t know if I’m ready to leave London.”

His papa just stares straight at him, seeing through the weak attempt at an excuse.

“I’m worried about dad.” 

Nico sucks his breath in at that. Not seeming to have expected this topic.

“I’m worried about dad being alone.”

“Is he alone?”

“No, he’s not. Pascal’s here. Seb’s here–”

“Is he seeing anyone?”

Its George’s turn now to stare disapprovingly at his father.

“No, he isn’t” George answers “but you could always call and ask him yourself.”

George watches on the small phone screen as Nico’s face quickly changes in shock. His dad shakes his head and gives a few blinks before pinching the bridge of his nose and composing himself.

“George, I’m sorry” Nico whispers “I shouldn’t have interrupted you like that.”

“No, I should be the one apologizing.” 

He can’t bring himself to look his papa in the eye, so he just stares at little image himself in the corner.

“No Georgie, it’s alright. I understand that things are stressful for you right now.” 

George looks up at that. His father has put on reassuring smile – undoubtedly just for show – but it’s comforting, nonetheless.

“You should talk to your dad about this, though. It’s a big decision to make and I don’t want you to have to confront it on your own.”

George nods and smiles back at his father. 

“They sent me a copy of the contract earlier, I already forwarded to the lawyers.”

Nico laughs at that “And did Mika reply?”

“Said its still exploitation but at least I get a college degree at the end.”

His papa laughs at that, a genuine laugh too.

They talk for a few moments longer before exchanging goodbyes as Nico hangs up the call. George just stares at the screen until his screen shuts off and he’s left with just a reflection of himself.

Well, he’s figured out two things today.

He’s a pretty decent football player. 

And his papa is **_definitely_** still in love with his dad.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to sort out the timeline of Lewis/Nico's relationship:
> 
> \- fell in love in the late 90s, got married in 2000.
> 
> \- george came along in 2003
> 
> \- things started getting rocky in 2014
> 
> \- they officially divorced in 2016. Lewis moved back to England with George, Nico stayed in Monaco.
> 
> \- and now we're here in 2020, this fic started out at the end of summer (the same time as the spanish gp reunion would have happened)
> 
> as always, i'm also on [tumblr](https://redbullseb.tumblr.com/)!


	5. Lewis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> assume makes an ass out of u and me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the final 'real' chapter since the next one is just an epilogue. 
> 
> i am planning to make this a whole series, so hopefully you guys will still be here :)

When he finally builds up the courage to tell his dad – to no one’s surprise – George is met with a fair deal of skepticism. Not because Lewis wasn’t ready to let go, but rather, he was relatively unimpressed with the idea of sending his child to a completely unknown place on another continent.

Now George thinks about it, he realizes that he might have missed some steps.

(Looking back at it, how did his papa also miss this?)

They come to a comprise – that George at least visits the campus before signing the contract. Honestly, George thinks this was a steal. His dad really needs to up his negotiation game.

Lewis looks over the contract himself and says he’ll try to talk with Valtteri. By the time he gets home from school the next day, there are two tickets to New York sitting on the kitchen table.

George is absolutely buzzing.

Naturally, the first thing he does is facetime Alex.

He’s greeted by two cats clawing away at the camera as an exasperated Alex struggles to move them away. The moment Alex returns from shooing everyone out of the room, George blurts out the news, not able to hold it in anymore. He gets a beaming Alex in return, citing off at least a hundred ‘I told you so!’.

(George can feel his heart squeeze at the image before him. He loves seeing Alex so happy like this. It makes him want to just reach through the phone and– No. Nope. No feeling. Not tonight you fuckers.)

They end up losing track of time, talking for hours on end until one of Alex’s sisters forcibly drags him away for dinner. George internally winces. As much as he’s excited to go to America, he’s not so sure if he’s ready to leave Alex.

\- TWO WEEKS LATER -

Its only when Autumn break commences that George realizes that he hasn’t told his papa about the trip to New York. He contemplates asking his dad whether or not they’ve spoken, but he knows the answer will forever be a resounding no.

**Papa**

_hey papa_

_did dad ever tell you that we're_

_going to new york this week?_

_He hasn't messaged me about it, no._

_would you like to join us?_

_If you'd like me to be there, then of course._

_yes_

_i'd really like it if you'd be there_

_did you even call dad after we last spoke?_

_papa._

_i can see you've read this_

_your read receipts are on._

_Shit_.

Now he sees why those two were married, and also why they’re divorced. But he also knows his papa will definitely show up. Most people think his papa is just all talk, but George isn’t most people. His papa hasn’t broken a promise to him ever, even in the four years they’ve spent apart.

It’s not until dinner that George mentions it. At first Lewis just sits there, glaring disapprovingly at his son. But George doesn’t even flinch. He just continues on, even boldly stating that he thinks his fathers should get in contact and sort something out. He makes it clear to his dad that the last part wasn’t optional. He’s not putting up with this game of telephone anymore.

His dads surprisingly, do end up sorting something out. Or at least that’s what Lewis says on the way to the airport. George is genuinely surprised that his plan worked. And it went a lot smoother than he imagined. Easy work, innit?

“Have you met your papa’s girlfriend yet?”

That one came out of left field. George nearly chokes his Lucozade, trying his hardest not to spill anything on the white leather seats of his dad’s G-Class.

“Papa has a girlfriend?” was all he could manage to choke out.

“He mentioned something yesterday when we were sorting out the details. Said that Vivian will be accompanying him to New York.”

“Who’s Vivian?”

“That’s what I’m asking you bud. Seems rather odd that he’s choosing this moment to introduce her.”

George just turns and scowls at his father. Oh, now he chooses to be petty.

“Don’t give me that look young man. I’m just saying that there are better occasions for this.”

“Can you two just behave and be civil for one weekend? I just want to visit this bloody campus and make a lifechanging decision with both of my parents present, alright!”

It’s now Lewis’ turn to be stunned silent. “George, it’s not like that–”

“Then what is it like? I’m so sick of everyone using me as a messenger. You’re all adults, figure it out yourself!”

Lewis just purses his lips and stares straight at the road ahead.

“Why am I – the teenager – the only responsible one in this situation?” George mutters.

They don’t speak for the rest of the car ride. In fact, they don’t speak for the rest of the journey to JFK. George opting to ignore the world with his noise cancelling headphones and pulled up hoodie whilst Lewis makes several attempts to say something before chickening out at the last minute.

Even when they get to the hotel, George continues to tiptoe around his dad. He calls it an early night and stays in his room until breakfast the next morning. When he gets to the restaurant, his papa is already there, sipping on his coffee whilst reading a copy of The New York Times. His dad is trailing behind, not wanting to be the first to greet the other man. George just rolls his eyes.

He sits down at the table across from his papa, with his dad following suit, plopping himself into the seat beside his son. Nico beams at his baby boy, making small talk about their journey over. Not once, do his fathers even make eye contact. Children, the both of them, George thinks.

“Will Vivian be joining us for breakfast today?” Lewis asks, breaking the silence.

For fuck sakes. George now wishes they’d keep avoiding one another.

“Oh, umm, no. Unfortunately, she’s busy with clients all day.”

“Hmm, and what does she do exactly?”

“Dad–”

“No, it’s okay Georgie. She’s an interior designer, is that alright with you Lewis?” Nico quips in return.

The interaction is cut short by the arrival of their waiter. Maybe there is a God after all, George thinks. He makes a mental note to send out a load of ‘thank you’s to whoever is watching over him.

That’s how the rest of the day pans out. Petty comment here, snarky comment there. Its enough for George to slightly regret the decision of asking his papa to come.

Things come to a head when one of the college faculty starts flirting with Lewis. Her name is Nicole and she’s an arts professor apparently. His papa is clenching is jaw so tight that George fears that he might pull a muscle. However, he doesn’t blame his papa though, the interaction makes him a bit queasy too. It seems almost one sided? Like his dad is just keeping up small talk to not disrupt the tour.

The tour comes to a finish at around noon, ending on the large green oasis in front of the law library. Nicole is still chatting to Lewis, having joined them on the tour as well.

George breaks away from the pack of prospective students, choosing to lean against the library’s limestone walls and watch from afar instead. His papa quickly notices his absence and follows suit, leaving the group of overeager parents to join him.

Nico follows his son’s actions and leans against the wall as well, staring off into the distance. His face is permanently stuck on disgust as he focuses on the crowd. George follows his line of sight, unsurprisingly leading to Nicole and his dad, still talking fervently.

“How long have you been seeing Vivian?”

This catches Nico off guard as he whips his head around to face his son.

“I – What– I– I’m not dating Vivian!”

Its George’s turn now to be surprised.

“But dad said–“

“Lewis thinks I’m dating Vivian?”

George just blinks dumbly at his papa. His papa, in return, does the same.

“He told me you were bringing your Vivian, your girlfriend along for the trip!”

“She’s just a friend! She was already coming to New York, so I caught a lift on her jet!”

Ohhhhhhh, now that would make a lot more sense.

“Did your father think she and I were dating?”

George just gulps.

“Georgie, I need you to tell me.”

George just bites his lips and looks anywhere but his father’s eyes.

“Georgie, please just tell me.”

“If you care enough, ask him yourself!” George blurts out. His eyes widen as he clamps his hands over his mouth. Where that intense fury came from, he doesn’t even know.

His papa just stands there, reveling in shock.

“Papa, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that–”

Nico waves his hands in dismissal.

“Georgie, it’s all right I understand. I–”

“Are you still in love with dad?” George cuts in.

Nico remains silent, now the one avoiding eye contact. He doesn’t say anything for a while, letting the silence blanket over them. Finally, he lets out a quite ‘yes’ in confirmation, still not looking his son in the eye.

“Then tell him. Please tell him papa.”

Nico looks up at George then, clasping their hands together.

“You really think that’s a good idea?”

George nods enthusiastically. His blue eyes, so innocent and full of hope. Nico can’t help it but think back to the time he and Lewis asked if George wanted Coco and Roscoe to stay with them forever. George was only ten years old. God, that seems like a lifetime ago now.

The sounds of footsteps approaching bursts their little reverie. They both look up, a sense of relief washing over the both of them when its only Lewis. Nico looks at his son once more. George squeezes his papa’s hands and gives him a soft smile of encouragement.

Nico pushes himself off the wall, smoothens out his shirt and runs a hand through his golden locks before looking at Lewis directly in the eyes.

He takes one last deep breath.

“Lewis, I think we need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea so this wasn't entirely a Lewis (and also hella rushed) chapter but i just wanted to tie things up in a nice neat bow 🎀
> 
> as always, i'm also on tumblr [tumblr](https://redbullseb.tumblr.com/)!


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